Rotary Transport Device with a Linear Actuator

ABSTRACT

A rotary transport device with a linear actuator comprises: a base, a rotary table and at least one linear actuator. The base is provided for pivotally mounting the rotary table. The rotary table is pivotally mounted on the base and is allowed to be pivoted relative to the base to a horizontal position or to titled positions. The linear actuator is pivotally disposed between the base and the rotary table and located at at least one side of the rotary table in a rotating direction thereof, the linear actuator comprises a motor for controlling extension and extraction of a screw, the motor has one end pivotally connected to the base, and one end of the screw is pivotally connected to the rotary table.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rotary transport device with linearactuator, which is ratable within a certain angle, and more particularlyto a rotary transport device, when it is provided plural actuators, theactuators can be controlled to move synchronously and the turning angleof the rotary transport device can be controlled precisely.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Positioning platforms are widely used in various machining andprocessing activities in industrial or electronic field, and thesepositioning platforms are always very heavy and bulky and cannot bemanually moved. Further, even if mechanical transportation means isused, it is still difficult to move the bulky positioning platform along distance through urban roads because the roads are limited inwidth, an overly wide is unable to move on a general road. Therefore,the transportation of such positioning platform requires the assistanceof a rotary transport device. On the other hand, in a factory wherethere is no gantry crane, such as a clean room, the movement of thepositioning platform must also rely on a rotary transport device. Asshown in FIG. 6, a conventional rotary transport device comprises a base50 on which is disposed a rotary table 60 which is provided forpositioning and carrying a positioning platform, and between the rotarytable 60 and the base 50 is disposed a plurality of hydraulic cylinders70, such as oil, pneumatic, or nitrogen cylinders, which are located atthe same side. Each of the respective hydraulic cylinders 70 has one endpivotally connected to the base 50 and has the other end pivotallyconnected to the rotary table 60 via an extension rod 71 which isextendable and extractable. When the rotary table 60 needs to adjust itsangle, a pressure pump which controls the hydraulic cylinders 70 canmake the extendable and extractable rods 71 extend and extract, so thatthe rotary angle of the rotary table 60 can be changed.

Using the hydraulic cylinders 70 to control the extension and extractionof the extension rods 71 has such a problem that the extension rods 71are unable to extend and extract simultaneously because the differentdistances and positions of the hydraulic cylinders 70 with respect tothe pressure pump, plus their structural designs might also bedifferent, which result in different values of pressure and speeds ofpressure transmission. Hence, the service life of the hydrauliccylinders 70 will also be affected.

On the other hand, the hydraulic cylinders 70 can only make theextension rods 71 fully extended or fully extracted, which only providesone choice of angle adjustment but is unable to freely control therotary angle of the rotary table 60 to better serve the requirements ofdifferent to-be-transported positioning platforms which have differentweights and centers of gravity. If the rotary angle is freelyadjustable, for example, a light positioning platform can be adjusted toa relatively large tilted angle for facilitating transport, while aheavy positioning platform can be adjusted to a relatively small tiltedangle for safety transport.

Furthermore, since the hydraulic cylinders 70 need to cooperate with apressure pump, it requires the use of pipelines, which is not onlytroublesome but also occupies a lot space. On top of that, there ispossibility of oil leakage if the hydraulic cylinders 70 are of oiltype.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Using the hydraulic cylinders to control the tilted angle of the rotarytransport device has such a problem that the extension rods are unableto extend and extract simultaneously, on the other hand, the hydrauliccylinders can only make the extension rods fully extended or fullyextracted, which only provides one choice of angle adjustment but isunable to freely control the rotary angle of the rotary table.

Problems to be Solved:

The present invention provides a rotary transport device with a linearactuator, which comprises: a base, a rotary table and at least onelinear actuator. The base is provided for pivotally mounting the rotarytable. The rotary table is pivotally mounted on the base and is allowedto be pivoted relative to the base to a horizontal position or to titledpositions. The linear actuator is pivotally disposed between the baseand the rotary table and located at at least one side of the rotarytable in a rotating direction thereof, the linear actuator comprises amotor for controlling extension and extraction of a screw, the motor hasone end pivotally connected to the base, and one end of the screw ispivotally connected to the rotary table.

The functions and advantages of the present invention over the priorart:

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a rotarytransport device, wherein the arrangement of the linear actuator betweenthe base and the rotary table can enable a plurality of screws to movesynchronously at the same speed when plural linear actuators are used,so that the pushing forces applied to the rotary table can be evenlydistributed, thus extending the service life of the structure.

The secondary object of the present invention is to provide a rotarytransport device, wherein the use of the actuator can control theextension length of the screw so as to freely control the rotary angleof the rotary table to better serve the requirements of differentto-be-transported positioning platforms which have different weights andcenters of gravity. If the rotary angle is freely adjustable, forexample, a light positioning platform can be adjusted to a relativelylarge tilted angle for facilitating transport, while a heavy positioningplatform can be adjusted to a relatively small tilted angle for safetytransport.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rotarytransport device, wherein the linear actuator employs a motor to controlthe extension and extraction of the screw, it is simple in structurewithout complicated installation work and other additional assistantequipments. Once it is electrified, the linear actuator can directlypush the rotary table to rotate without the worry of oil leakage.Furthermore, the linear actuator is easy to assemble and disassemble,which facilitates the clean and maintenance work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in accordance with the present invention,showing the horizontal state of a rotary transport device with a linearactuator;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in accordance with the present invention,showing a tilted state of the rotary transport device with a linearactuator;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing that the rotary transport device inaccordance with the present invention is in a horizontal position;

FIG. 4 shows that the rotary transport device in accordance with thepresent invention is pushed into a tilted position by the linearactuators;

FIG. 5 shows that the rotary transport device in accordance with thepresent invention is pushed into another tilted position by the linearactuators; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional rotary transport device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following descriptionwhen viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, forpurpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordancewith the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a rotary transport device with a linear actuatorcomprises: a base 10, a rotary table 20 and at least one linear actuator30.

The base 10 is provided for pivotally mounting the rotary table 20 andincreasing the height of the rotary table 20.

The rotary table 20 is pivotally mounted on the base 10 and can bepivoted relative to the base 10 to a horizontal position or to titledpositions.

The linear actuator 30 is pivotally disposed between the base 10 and therotary table 20 and located at at least one side of the rotary table 20in the rotating direction thereof, namely, the linear actuator 30 can bedisposed at one or both sides of the rotary table 20 in the rotatingdirection thereof. The linear actuator 30 comprises a motor 31 forcontrolling the extension and extraction of a screw 32. The motor 31 hasone end pivotally connected to the base 10, and the end of the screw 32is pivotally connected to the rotary table 20.

The linear actuator 30 is electrically driven and capable of preciselycontrolling the timing of starting and stopping the motor 31 and itsrotation speed, so as to make plural such screws 32 to movesimultaneously. The extending motion of the screw 32 of the linearactuator 30 can make the rotary table 20 rotate to change its tiltangle, and the extracting motion of the screw 32 of the linear actuator30 can pull the rotary table 20 back to its horizontal position forcarrying and positioning a positioning platform or mold, as shown inFIG. 3. The positioning platform can directly be moved by the rotarytransport device when it needs to moved. Furthermore, if the horizontalwidth of the positioning platform is too large while the space forallowing the positioning platform to get through is too narrow, thescrew 32 of the linear actuator 30 can extend out to rotate the rotarytable 20 into a tilted state, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the horizontalwidth of the positioning platform is substantially reduced forfacilitating transport through narrow space.

Besides synchronous movement, the linear actuator 30 can also controlthe extension length of the screw 32, as shown in FIG. 5, so that therotary table 20 can be adjusted freely to different desired tiltedangles.

It is apparent from the above description that the present invention hasthe following advantages:

1. the arrangement of the linear actuator 30 between the base 10 and therotary table 20 can enable a plurality of screws 32 to movesynchronously at the same speed when plural linear actuators 30 areused, so that the pushing forces applied to the rotary table 20 can beevenly distributed, thus extending the service life of the structure.

2. the use of the actuator 30 can control the extension length of thescrew 32 so as to freely control the rotary angle of the rotary table tobetter serve the requirements of different to-be-transported positioningplatforms which have different weights and centers of gravity. If therotary angle is freely adjustable, for example, a light positioningplatform can be adjusted to a relatively large tilted angle forfacilitating transport, while a heavy positioning platform can beadjusted to a relatively small tilted angle for safety transport.

3. the linear actuator 30 employs a motor 31 to control the extensionand extraction of the screw 32, it is simple in structure withoutcomplicated installation work and other additional assistant equipments.Once it is electrified, the linear actuator 30 can directly push therotary table 20 to rotate without the worry of oil leakage. Furthermore,the linear actuator 30 is easy to assemble and disassemble, whichfacilitates the clean and maintenance work.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance withthe present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A rotary transport device with a linear actuator, comprising: a base,a rotary table and at least one linear actuator; wherein: the base isprovided for pivotally mounting the rotary table; the rotary table ispivotally mounted on the base and is allowed to be pivoted relative tothe base to a horizontal position or to titled positions; the linearactuator is pivotally disposed between the base and the rotary table andlocated at at least one side of the rotary table in a rotating directionthereof, the linear actuator comprises a motor for controlling extensionand extraction of a screw, the motor has one end pivotally connected tothe base, and one end of the screw is pivotally connected to the rotarytable.
 2. The rotary transport device with a linear actuator as claimedin claim 1, wherein the linear actuator is disposed at both sides of therotary table in the rotating direction thereof.